With e-readers, parents get in the way of reading

WASHINGTON — An e-reader to get the young kids more into reading may sound like a great idea, but it could have some negative consequences.

The problem is not the e-readers themselves, but the way parents interact with their kids when using them.

Time Magazine cites several studies showing parents give their kids directions about how to use e-readers, rather than talking with them about the stories, and that can make it tougher for kids to keep up with the plots. It also may hurt their overall reading skills.

The same problem can come up when watching videos online.

Researchers believe that parents spend more time saying “don’t touch that” or “not yet” when using electronic devices than when reading off a hard copy.

They say the best thing to do is to interact with your kids as you read stories on your Nook or Kindle, asking questions about what they think might happen next and why.

Interruptions with directions, whether from a parent or a computer game, may get in the way of learning.